


With you, breathing.

by loeysbaby



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alpha Byun Baekhyun, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst, Baekhyun is in love, Beta Do Kyungsoo, Feelings, Forbidden Love, Kinda, M/M, Omega Oh Sehun, Scenting, ScentingChallenge, So is Kyungsoo but he's hesitant, kind of open ending, lots of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-10
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 17:48:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25210417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loeysbaby/pseuds/loeysbaby
Summary: As a beta and the son of a concubine, Kyungsoo knows it’s not his place to want things. But he wants Baekhyun and Baekhyun is courageous enough to want him too.
Relationships: Byun Baekhyun/Do Kyungsoo | D.O
Comments: 32
Kudos: 102
Collections: Crescent Moon: Flash Fest Round 1





	With you, breathing.

**Author's Note:**

> Many hearts and kisses to my beta and soulmate, A. As usual, you claim you didn't help enough and as usual i disagree completely. i love you wbk but i wanna say it again <3
> 
> here's my take on the scenting challenge! Not quite royal au but maybe next time BDSDHD  
> Thank you to the Mods for this fest! 
> 
> lastly, dear reader, enjoy!

“Did you hear that the Byuns are throwing a party tomorrow night?”

Normally Kyungsoo would have loved any distraction from his studies but not _this_ kind. The beta doesn’t consider himself above gossip but anything with _Byun_ trailing behind it leaves Kyungsoo feeling a bit uneasy. 

“They’re part of the royal family Sehun, you should refer to them as such.” Kyungsoo scolds lightly, a futile attempt to avoid the conversation. 

“It’s just the two of us,” Sehun mumbles, placing down his slightly crumpled scroll on the desk. Thankfully it’s not an original. 

“Still, it’s the right thing to do.” 

Sehun sighs, annoyance settling on his brows like sunlight. “Why are you so _proper?_ Anyway, we’re going, of course. Mother wouldn’t ignore this opportunity. I thought you would be happy.”

“Why are they throwing a party?” Kyungsoo purposefully ignored Sehun’s comment.

“The Second Daughter presented. _Alpha._ ”

Of course.

The Byuns are a long line of Alphas.

“Good for them,” Kyungsoo comments, vaguely. He’s distracted, thinking of what excuse he can use to get out of attending. 

“Good for _us._ I heard the First and Third sons are looking for mates.” A smile twists Sehun’s plush lips, slightly smug. “The Third son is a catch isn’t he? He looked really strong and well built from last week's event at the Kim’s.”

Kyungsoo knows what Sehun is trying to do and he _won’t_ give in, despite the jealousy swirling in the pit of his stomach. 

“He’s been at every event so far while you’ve been avoiding as many as possible. Is there something going on between the two of you, Soo? Did the two of you get into a fight?” the omega teases.

“Don’t say things like that,” Kyungsoo says lowly. “You can’t say things like that to other people Sehun, I’m serious, I could get in trouble. _Baekhyun_ could get in trouble.”

“Oh so you’re on a first name basis now?”

“I–” Kyungsoo feels rose petals seep into his cheeks. “It was a slip up, it doesn’t mean anything.”

“You can’t fool me, Soo.” Sehun tilts his head. “Tell me the truth; did you finally confess? If you haven’t yet, you should, I see the way Baekhyun looks at you. Like you’re everything to him.”

Sehun’s words cause something warm to explode through Kyungsoo’s skin and his heart aches. 

He forces out, “I have nothing to confess, I don’t feel anything for him and he doesn’t feel anything for _me._ How could he? We’ve only spoken a few times and all those times were about stupid, mundane things!”

It’s more than that. 

It’s all a collection of tiny moments, smiles, jokes, memorizing the way Baekhyun’s almond eyes crinkle and spending nights wondering what it would feel like to touch his sun-kissed skin, what it would feel like to be _touched_ by him.

“Baekhyun clearly doesn’t feel the same.” Sehun points out and he takes Kyungsoo’s hands, folding them in between his own soft ones. “Is it really that hard to imagine something between the two of you? It’s not even that much of a stretch, Soo. He isn’t the First Son, it’s _possible._ ”

“If I was you maybe it would be.” Kyungsoo meets Sehun’s earnest eyes. “If I was _actually_ Mother’s son–”

“You’re still her legal son and that’s all that matters!”

“Who’s going to let a member of the royal family mate and marry the son of a concubine? A _beta_ , nonetheless. If I was an omega _maybe_ but a beta?” Kyungsoo shakes his head. “It’s not going to happen and that’s okay, I’ve come to terms with my position a long time ago. Maybe later, Mother will find a nice omega or alpha for me, someone within my reach.”

“How can you just _settle_ for that?” Sehun’s voice wasn’t mocking, it held genuine curiosity. 

There is a tang of bitterness on Kyungsoo’s tongue. Sehun is the only omega son of this household, son of the legal wife, pretty, well sought out, _spoiled_. He’s used to getting what he wants, used to asking for things. 

Kyungsoo isn’t. 

He’s lucky to live in the main house after his mother's death but mostly, he’s smart enough to know his place in this world and his role within this family. He won’t dare to ask for more.

And even though he _does_ have feelings for Baekhyun, Kyungsoo isn’t naive.

Feelings aren’t enough in this world, power and status is, and Kyungsoo has neither. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“You’ve missed too many events already, Kyungsoo. It makes you seem arrogant and it reflects badly on this family.”

Kyungsoo bites down on his bottom lip, head hanging low. He knows better than to argue back. “Yes, Mother.”

The faint _clink_ sound of a tea cup being set down. “I’ll send a tailor shortly. It’s about time we start searching for a mate for you.”

“Just me?” Kyungsoo dares to ask.

“Yes, I’ve already looked into potential suitors for Sehun and perhaps Marques Byun would be interested in uniting his family with ours through his third son…”

Kyungsoo stops listening. 

There’s a ringing in his ears. 

He has the urge to laugh over the irony.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Sehun somehow convinces Kyungsoo to go into an unfamiliar chamber with a familiar person waiting inside. 

The door closes behind Kyungsoo with great finality.

“You’re here.” Baekhyun breathes out and he offers Kyungsoo a tender smile so _devastating_ the butterflies in Kyungsoo’s stomach come alive. 

”I must go, this is inappropriate.” Kyungsoo forces out, despite his body, his _wolf_ demanding to stay and wrap himself around Baekhyun and his scent and his smiles, his essence. 

“Why are you avoiding me?” Baekhyun asks, soft, laced with hurt. 

Kyungsoo tries to be indifferent. “I’m not.” 

Baekhyun tightens his jaw and then he steps closer, too close but not close enough and the breath in Kyungsoo’s lungs dies off when Baekhyun’s scent reaches him.

Strong, heavy with raw adoration and affection, and Kyungsoo wants to stamp this scent onto his very being, he wants to paint everything that makes up _Baekhyun_ onto his soul and save him there forever. 

“Why are you showing me your scent?” Kyungsoo chokes out, words twisting, Baekhyun’s burning scent replacing the air in his lungs. “Are you trying to torment me?”

“Why would you think that?” Baekhyun asks, his voice tight. He’s closer now, the only distance between them was a handful of stars. 

“Do you realize how–” Kyungsoo swallows and there’s a delicious burn dripping down his throat. “–how _intimate_ this could be for me?”

Alphas and omegas smell each other just fine but betas didn’t, _couldn’t,_ emit their scent unless they were mated and so, it’s proper for alphas and omegas to restrain their scents around a beta. 

For Baekhyun to do this– 

“Of course I do.” The alpha murmurs and in a bold move, he reaches out and gently molds his hand against Kyungsoo’s cheek, fingers sliding into dark hair. His thumb rests dangerously close to Kyungsoo’s lips and Kyungsoo’s heart is dangerously close to exploding. 

“Then why?” Kyungsoo’s whisper is strangled. 

“I want you to know,” Baekhyun tells him, “how much you mean to me.”

Kyungsoo isn’t ready to touch that, despite the way his wolf was howling, thumping, absolutely elated with the confession. “Are you behind all of those previous events?”

Dejection flashed through Baekhyun’s eyes.

“I need to know,” Kyungsoo softly adds. 

“I pushed my father to have this event and sent an invitation to the Parks. Your sister would have sent the invitation to her maiden family. You hadn’t attended previous events and if you didn’t show up to this one, it would have been fine.” Baekhyun’s scent is slowly becoming overwhelming and Kyungsoo gets the urge to bathe in it.

“There would have been another event and another. I would have waited for you, no matter how long it took. I just–” Baekhyun inhales sharply, swiping his thumb gently across Kyungsoo's bottom lip, sending shivers down Kyungsoo’s spine, cracking it apart.

“I wanted to see you _._ ” Baekhyun’s words land heavily on Kyungsoo's soul. “I _need_ to be with you.”

“That’s not possible.” Kyungsoo whispers back. “Destined mates don’t exist.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Baekhyun sighs. “Why do you think I would only want you if you were my soulmate or an omega or higher in status?” 

“Because you _should–”_

_“Kyungsoo.”_ Baekhyun whispers, looks at him with so much emotion that the rose petals in his lungs starts spreading throughout his body, leaving behind a delightfully warm feeling. “I don’t _care._ ”

And then: “ _Can I kiss you?”_

Kyungsoo’s insides quiver and he should say no, he should be rational and not set himself up to fall. 

“ _Please.”_

And Baekhyun kisses him.

Soft, tender and then harder, with a wanting so desperate it burns as Kyungsoo tastes the alpha, and he realizes he could never have enough. 

Later, as Kyungsoo watches Baekhyun walk around the ballroom, lips swollen, heart aching, he notices it’s raining outside.

And he can’t help but think the sky is weeping for them. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!
> 
> Find me on twt: Dohkiss :3


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